Lachlan passed away in January 2010. As a memorial, this site remains as he left it.Therefore the information on this site may not be current or accurate and should not be relied upon.
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Sony Mavica FD75 digital camera - speed is the key

The Sony Mavica FD75 is an incredibly good camera for quickly getting images onto the web; and for
those who travel and/or do not use a single computer for manipulating digital images. The MVC-FD75 has
massive amount of battery time; writes images directly onto a 3.5" floppy disk; and has a 10x (10 fold) optical zoom
(a very important feature for taking fauna, flora and travel photographs and images).

The Sony Mavica FD75 can only do 640x480 pixel images, which
can be an advantage for quick, speedy and easy web work.
(other cameras that do not have an option for low resolution mode can result in painful amounts
of time for routine resizing images).

The method (while walking to and from work - if you have that option):
take lots of wildflower, flora, fauna snaps as opportunity allows. (it helps if your
workplace is in a nice woodland or nature friendly area. Many scientific laboratories have this
quality.)

For quickly getting images on the web; all you need to do is i) have a webpage template titled index.html;
ii) create a new subdirectory; iii) open a DOS window
(using the freeware MS DOSHERE power utility which runs within the Windows explorer)
and copy over the files from the floppy disk using a DOS command
such as copy *.jpg; iv) use a program such as the freeware ChangeCase to change the case of the files to lower case
and do the thumb-nailing with your favourite program (Paintshop Pro is very good - though does not have
good scripting, batch mode on the version I use);
v) copy over the index.html template and quickly edit the index.html file to describe
the latest pictures and update it on the website. Done and far easier and timely than if you had
tried using other digital cameras with cable connections; custom download programs; resizings, etc..

The main problem of the MVC-FD75: lack of a macro / close-up mode and lack of manual focus.

(Though possible tricks to get around this follow)

If your main aim for purchasing the Sony Mavica FD75 digital camera is to take Fauna and Flora images,
the main problem is the lack of a macro / close-up mode and lack of
manual focus. The FD75 tries to autofocus and for some styles of wildflower images /
photographs, the FD75 focusses on the wrong thing (most likely something in the background)
with the inability to intuititvely change this.

The following images and text gives you some hints on how to get around this and to
be able to take photographs of wildflowers (or other small freestanding objects) where you
trick the Sony Mavica FD75 to focus on the object of interest. Note that there may be
better and more reliable ways of doing this but (after various trial and errors to figure out
what was going on) the following gets things going for me.

Click here to see my starting set and growing collection of wild flower and wildlife webpages
(ignore that starting links and scroll down for the nature stuff):
USA 2001 LDEO, Columbia University, Palisades, New York, Flora and Fauna pages.
(It helps being part of an ISP web service where you own a few GIG or so of the web-server hard-disk
as the images start taking up significant amounts of space pretty quickly).

(The other useful function the FD75 lacks is timed exposure shots for trying to take
images of lightning storms - though is not that big an issue as lightning storms are not
that common here - at least not this year)

No problem images of wildflowers using the FD75

Image

Description

Wildflower in focus - Point and Click: Normally, the Sony Mavica FD 75 is very good at
taking photos / images of wildflowers and getting things in focus on the first shot.

Pressing the shutter button too quickly on the FD75

Dandelion slightly out of focus: If you press down on the Shutter Button too quickly,
the image might appear slightly out of focus if it was optimising the auto-focus at the
time you fully pressed the Shutter Button (rather than pressing it half way to allow
it to optimise the focus - then fully down to take the image / photo of the wildflower).

Dandelion in focus: Try again with pressing the shutter button half way down, then all the way to
obtain the image: which should now be in focus

Minor problem of the FD75 focussing on the background, not the object

In this image, the FD75 has focussed on the background instead of the wildflower, giving
an out of focus image.

A solution to this is play around with the zoom/unzoom and distance of "camera to object"
and see if the FD75 can automatically now lock in on the object of interest. Here it has almost
done the job.

Try again with the zoom/unzoom and distance of "camera to object"
to see if you can get a better image if the first try is not 100% acceptable.
If it doesn't, you will have to use the "two fingered salute" Sony Mavica FD75
wildflower / macro / close-up focussing method described below.

Major problem of the FD75 focussing on the background, not the object

Again, in this image, the FD75 has focussed on the background instead of the wildflower, and there
is no trick of zoom/unzoom and camera to object distance that will fix this situation.

A quick, improvised solution to this is to give the camera a two fingered salute with the
target wildflower / object near or within the fingers. Then use the other hand on the
FD75 to now zoom and focus on the fingers (which by default also means the wild flower will come
into focus). (an alternative to this could be to have an "appropriately patterned"
card that is easy for the camera to focus on)

(be careful not to damage the flower and have this
on your conscience - petals on some wildflowers can be very fragile)

Remove your fingers and the wildflower should still be in focus. Now take your picture of the
in-focus wildflower.

Major problem (2nd Example) of the FD75 focussing on the background, not the object

Again, in this image, the FD75 has focussed on the background instead of the wildflower, and there
is no trick of zoom/unzoom and camera to object distance that will fix this situation.

Again, give the Sony Mavica FD75 camera a two fingered salute with the
target wildflower / object near or within the fingers. Then use the other hand on the
FD75 to now zoom and focus on the fingers (which by default also means the wild flower will come
into focus). (an alternative to this could be to have an "appropriately patterned"
card that is easy for the camera to focus on)

(be careful not to damage the flower and have this
on your conscience - petals on some wildflowers can be very fragile)

Remove your fingers and the wildflower should still be in focus. Now take your image /
picture of the in-focus wildflower.

Major problem (3rd Example) of the FD75 focussing on the background, not the object

Again, in this image, the FD75 has focussed on the background instead of the wildflower, and there
is no trick of zoom/unzoom and camera to object distance that will fix this situation.

Again, give the Sony Mavica FD75 camera a two fingered salute with the
target wildflower / object near or within the fingers. Then use the other hand on the
FD75 to now zoom and focus on the fingers (which by default also means the wild flower will come
into focus). (an alternative to this could be to have an "appropriately patterned"
card that is easy for the camera to focus on)

(be careful not to damage the flower and have this
on your conscience - petals on some wildflowers can be very fragile)

Remove your fingers and the wildflower should still be in focus. Now take your image /
picture of the in-focus wildflower. (Though it would result in a more asthetically pleasing
image if you remove all of your fleshy fingers from the view of the camera)

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.
A dove house fill'd with doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his Master's Gate
Predicts the ruin of the State.
A Horse misus'd upon the Road
Calls to Heaven for Human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted Hare
A fibre from the Brain does tear.
A Skylark wounded in the wing,
A Cherubim does cease to sing.
The Game Cock clipp'd and arm'd for fight
Does the Rising Sun affright.
Every Wolf's & Lion's howl
Raises from Hell a Human Soul.
The wild deer, wand'ring here & there,
Keeps the Human Soul from Care.
The Lamb misus'd breeds public strife
And yet forgives the Butcher's Knife.
The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that won't believe.
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbeliever's fright.
He who shall hurt the little Wren
Shall never be belov'd by Men.
He who the Ox to wrath has mov'd
Shall never be by Woman lov'd.
The wanton Boy that kills the Fly
Shall feel the Spider's enmity.
He who torments the Chafer's sprite
Weaves a Bower in endless Night.
The Catterpillar on the Leaf
Repeats to thee thy Mother's grief.
Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly,
For the Last Judgement draweth nigh.
He who shall train the Horse to War
Shall never pass the Polar Bar.
The Beggar's Dog & Widow's Cat,
Feed them & thou wilt grow fat.
The Gnat that sings his Summer's song
Poison gets from Slander's tongue.
The poison of the Snake & Newt
Is the sweat of Envy's Foot.
The poison of the Honey Bee
Is the Artist's Jealousy.
The Prince's Robes & Beggars' Rags
Are Toadstools on the Miser's Bags.
A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the Lies you can invent.
It is right it should be so;
Man was made for Joy & Woe;
And when this we rightly know
Thro' the World we safely go.
Joy & Woe are woven fine,
A Clothing for the Soul divine;
Under every grief & pine
Runs a joy with silken twine.
The Babe is more than swadling Bands;
Throughout all these Human Lands
Tools were made, & born were hands,
Every Farmer Understands.
Every Tear from Every Eye
Becomes a Babe in Eternity.
This is caught by Females bright
And return'd to its own delight.
The Bleat, the Bark, Bellow & Roar
Are Waves that Beat on Heaven's Shore.
The Babe that weeps the Rod beneath
Writes Revenge in realms of death.
The Beggar's Rags, fluttering in Air,
Does to Rags the Heavens tear.
The Soldier arm'd with Sword & Gun,
Palsied strikes the Summer's Sun.
The poor Man's Farthing is worth more
Than all the Gold on Afric's Shore.
One Mite wrung from the Labrer's hands
Shall buy & sell the Miser's lands:
Or, if protected from on high,
Does that whole Nation sell & buy.
He who mocks the Infant's Faith
Shall be mock'd in Age & Death.
He who shall teach the Child to Doubt
The rotting Grave shall ne'er get out.
He who respects the Infant's faith
Triumph's over Hell & Death.
The Child's Toys & the Old Man's Reasons
Are the Fruits of the Two seasons.
The Questioner, who sits so sly,
Shall never know how to Reply.
He who replies to words of Doubt
Doth put the Light of Knowledge out.
The Strongest Poison ever known
Came from Caesar's Laurel Crown.
Nought can deform the Human Race
Like the Armour's iron brace.
When Gold & Gems adorn the Plow
To peaceful Arts shall Envy Bow.
A Riddle or the Cricket's Cry
Is to Doubt a fit Reply.
The Emmet's Inch & Eagle's Mile
Make Lame Philosophy to smile.
He who Doubts from what he sees
Will ne'er believe, do what you Please.
If the Sun & Moon should doubt
They'd immediately Go out.
To be in a Passion you Good may do,
But no Good if a Passion is in you.
The Whore & Gambler, by the State
Licenc'd, build that Nation's Fate.
The Harlot's cry from Street to Street
Shall weave Old England's winding Sheet.
The Winner's Shout, the Loser's Curse,
Dance before dead England's Hearse.
Every Night & every Morn
Some to Misery are Born.
Every Morn & every Night
Some are Born to sweet Delight.
Some ar Born to sweet Delight,
Some are born to Endless Night.
We are led to Believe a Lie
When we see not Thro' the Eye
Which was Born in a Night to Perish in a Night
When the Soul Slept in Beams of Light.
God Appears & God is Light
To those poor Souls who dwell in the Night,
But does a Human Form Display
To those who Dwell in Realms of day.

If you are feeling sociable, my new E-mail address is
[address now invalid] (replace the *at* with an @ ) . Old E-mail
addresses might be giving forwarding or reliability problems. Please
use clear titles in any Email - otherwise messages might accidentally
get put in the SPAM list due to large amount of junk Email being
received. So, if you don't get an expected reply to any messages, please
try again.